These fluffy raisin buns are made with soaked raisins & orange zest for fruity bursts of flavor along with sliced almonds for added crunch. A little whole wheat flour keeps them chewy and filling, and apricot jam is brushed on at the end for an optional glossy shine.
These Raisin Buns Take Me Straight Back to Childhood
Growing up in Germany, raisin buns were part of every Easter memory with their fluffy texture & lightly sweet flavor, nothing like the sugar-loaded versions I find here in the U.S. When I went looking for a recipe that matched that memory, I kept running into the same two problems: either the buns were drowning in icing and tasted more like a cinnamon roll, or they were way too plain and dense. So I built my own version from scratch, based on German Rosinenbrotchen & Dutch Krentenbollen.
First, the raisins get soaked in warm water before they go into the dough. In testing, skipping this step led to dry buns, since the dried fruit pulled moisture out of the dough. Second, I knead in sliced almonds for a little crunch to balance that pillowy interior. Third, I found that half a cup of whole wheat flour adds just enough bready depth and substance to keep these feeling like a proper roll.
Then, straight out of the oven while they're still warm, I brush on an apricot jam glaze. It adds a final note of fruity sweetness, and keeps them moist much longer than an unglazed bun.
The end result is fragrant citrus & cinnamon bread buns, subtly sweet without any icing in sight. I love to serve them at our holiday table as a slightly sweeter alternative to classic dinner rolls (ditto my German Easter bread), but they're just as tasty slathered in butter for breakfast on a random weekday.
Let's Bake Raisin Buns Together!
Carissa's Kneading Tip
The dough is pretty sticky at first. Knead the dough in the bowl for the first minute by making a claw shape with your hand and bringing the dough on the bottom of the bowl up to the top.
Tasty Variations I've Tried With Raisin Buns
- Sometimes I swap in other dried fruit like currants, cranberries, chopped dates, apricots, or plums, depending on what I have in my pantry.
- I prefer using dark raisins for a color contrast to the bread, but golden raisins taste just as great
- For added spice, a dash of cardamom, ground nutmeg, allspice, or cloves in the dough all work great here.
Fluffy Raisin Buns
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup raisins
- 1¼ cups milk, warm
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt (use table salt or fine sea salt)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon orange zest (from one medium orange)
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 ½ cups all purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- apricot jam (optional, for brushing on top)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, cover the raisins with an inch of hot water. Set aside so the raisins can soak up the liquid for at least 30 minutes. Or microwave the water and raisins for 1 minute.
- In another small bowl, mix the warm milk, active dry yeast, and granulated sugar. Set this aside for about 10 minutes, until it becomes frothy on top.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the milk & yeast mixture, eggs, salt, cinnamon, orange zest, and softened butter.
- Add the all purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Mix with a large spoon until there's no visible dry flour and it forms a very sticky dough.
- Thoroughly drain the raisins and add them to the dough along with the sliced almonds. Knead in the bowl until the raisins and almonds are distributed.
- On a generously floured surface, knead the dough by hand for about 8 minutes, until the dough is mostly smooth and springs back to its original shape when you indent it with your finger. Shape the dough into a ball.
- Place the dough back into the same mixing bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let it rest and rise for 1 to 2 hours, until it doubles in size.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, divide and shape the dough into 12 even balls. Arrange them evenly spaced out on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel and proof for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the buns are golden on top.
- Optional: Brush the buns with apricot jam while they're still warm. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Dividing Dough: I usually divide my dough into 12 pieces by eye. But if you want to make sure each bun is the exact same size, you can weigh your dough buns on a kitchen scale.
- Storing: Store leftover cooled buns in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
- Make Ahead: Mix the dough, knead it, and let it rise until it doubles in size. Shape the dough into 12 balls, then refrigerate the buns overnight. Once you're ready to bake your buns in the morning, proof them for one to two hours to warm and puff them, then bake as usual.
Nutrition
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Grutz says
Danke Schoen
Carissa Erzen says
The BEST fluffy raisin buns! 😀